The U.S. Women’s National Team remained perfect at the 2020 Concacaf Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Friday after a romp over Panama in Houston.
Lindsey Horan scored a hat trick while five additional players got on the scoresheet in an 8-0 victory. It was the second consecutive qualifying win for the USWNT, who have outscored its opponents 12-0 so far.
Vlatko Andonovski’s side raced out to a 4-0 halftime lead with Horan accounting for two of those goals in a 15-minute span. Jessica McDonald’s cross was repelled by Panama keeper Yenith Bailey, but Horan put away the rebound in the third minute for a 1-0 advantage.
Horan’s toe poked through ball sprung Lynn Williams towards goal, allowing the forward to score her second goal of the tournament in the 15th minute.
That whole finish from @lynnraenie was smooooooth. pic.twitter.com/YpdaOMHxqV
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 1, 2020
Horan would double her tally in the 18th minute before Rose Lavelle added a fourth goal of the opening half in the 21st. Williams drew Bailey out of position before teeing up Lavelle for a one-time finish into the bottom-right corner.
As if a soft cast is gonna stop @roselavelle from scoring… pic.twitter.com/9SeXMdbYHx
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 1, 2020
Despite being up four, the USWNT kept its foot on the gas in the final stages of the match. Christen Press scored her second goal of the tournament in the 70th minute before McDonald and Tobin Heath scored six minutes apart to continue the demolition at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Horan notched her first-ever hat trick in the 81st minute, stamping the final score at 8-0.
Has the smiley face with a tear falling emoji dropped yet?
FIRST HATTY FOR OUR GAL. SO PROUD. pic.twitter.com/9LfBlHUTeg
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@USWNT) February 1, 2020
Bailey made 13 saves for Panama, however her teammates only recorded one shot in total and zero on the USWNT’s goal.
The USWNT remain atop Group B and concludes group stage play on Monday against unbeaten Costa Rica.
Whenever you win 8-0 and accomplish your objective of establishing goal-differential advantage over Costa Rica, you have to be happy. HOWEVER, there were a lot of mental errors which, if not made, could have run the score up even higher. I counted 9 off-sides and 4 handballs as well as a continuing run of errant passes which went straight out-of-bounds.
My concern is that our USWNT could become complacent and not take Costa Rica as serious as it should. As we found out in Abby Wambaugh’s final match against China, you can out-shoot a team 21-1 and still lose 1-0. If that should happen, it would put the U.S. in the position of having to Beat Canada or stay home from the Olympics.
Costa Rica is much like the team from Spain which the U. S. hung on to beat 2-1 at the W/C knockout round. They don’t have a particular weakness and can score goals. If we continue with our comedy of errors against them, it could be a low-scoring match, as we will NOT be able to generate the number of scoring chances we had with both Haiti and Panama. We will need to score early and often or else Costa Rica will become energized and potentially could be in the match right until the 90 minute mark!!!